Joliet works on redevelopment agreement for "Stadium Club"

JOLIET – Potential developers want to put a sandwich shop and doughnut shop along with apartments into a city-owned building just outside the right-field wall at Slammers stadium.

City staff is recommending the proposal over another one to put a microbrewery into the so-called “Stadium Club” at 141 E. Jefferson St.

The Joliet City Council Economic Development Committee on Thursday gave the OK to work out a redevelopment agreement with Stadium Club LLC to take over the building.

The building is one of two in the downtown area that the city is trying to put back in the private market by turning them over to developers that spend $300,000 on renovations. The other is the old Crabigale’s comedy club building at 1 E. Cass St.

The Stadium Club is a three-story, 18,000-square-foot building that at one time was a car dealership and now is used for storage. The partners in Stadium Club LLC are Mel Yarmat and Dan Shafron, who have previous experience in property development.

Jones said the developers already are lining up commercial tenants for the building. Jones said the developers showed interest in the building even before the city put out a request for proposals for redevelopment.

Kendall Jackson, director of planning, said the Stadium Club LLC proposal is appealing because of the commercial uses and the developers’ understanding of the market.

The city is going through the same process for the Crabigale's property, also known as the Loughran Building. Potential developers are given the opportunity to take ownership of the buildings if they spend $300,000 on upgrades to put them back into use.

The city is making its first effort to market the Stadium Club, but a number of prospects for the Crabigale’s building have fallen through.

Jones said the city currently is evaluating two proposals for the Crabigale’s building. One would put a chiropractors’ office and resale shop on the first floor while converting the upper two floors to residences. The other would put a restaurant on the first floor and also convert upper space into apartments.